TheBoost

Bingowings said:

Go on Warb.

Explain to me how one of hundreds of thousands of human beings nailed up by the Romans in anyway makes my life or the life of anyone else who lived later any better than it was if it hadn't happened.

Taking as a given that Jesus existed, was the son of God and died in that fashion.

What does dying for our sins actually mean?

I promise I will not mock you just explain it.

If it's something I can't understand because I'm not the God of the Bible myself, why should this act in any way impress me?

It's a lot like the ending to "Spartacus" which was quite moving.

So, the last Pope was a Hitler youth... and the new one is from Argentina? 

Could he be one of those Hitler clones? 

Best work day ever. It's standardized testing day, and all my students are done so I'm watching Star Wars Revisted with my class.

And THAT is how you photoshop a new DVD cover. 

Ooooooooooh, sweet nostalgia. Magazines rule.

I remember so fondly going to the market with my mom, and how the magazines were in the same aisle as the wine, and I'd pour through the racks hoping to find a magazine that catered to one of my geek interests. I bought all I could find, because delivery was spotty at best and there may not be a Starlog next month.

Starlog, Fangoria, Wizard, Pro Wrestling Illustrated. If any of those showed up, I poured over them again and again. I love the net, but all the info on Wookieepedia doesn't quite compare to the magic of those smeared black and white pages. 

xhonzi said:

Planet of the Apes is about white man's fear of losing control of the planet.

 

 

 Not sure if serious.

Given the film's timing in a turbulent period, and the general imagery (degraded men, like Heston, and hot white chicks) do you suppose that might have actually been a factor in the making of the film, or in its reception?  

ps.
I know it's based on some french book. I think that's inconsequential.

Bingowings said:

The Fly I think has a more general theme of the effects of physical entropy on sapient objects.

We all are subject to metamorphosis and disintegration.

Brundlefly is suffering from the aging process as much as disease.

The pregnancy test does introduce certain venereal aspects to his condition but sexual reproduction is another form of metamorphosis and decay.

What comes out the other end isn't us, it's from us.

Wether you see that as a fantastic new variation or a degraded copy is a matter of perspective.

Have you ever heard of insect politics? Neither have I.

Insects don't have politics. They're very brutal. No compassion, no compromise.

We can't trust the insect.

I'd like to become the first insect politician. 

Bingowings said:

Mrebo said:

Thusfar I'm agreeing with the heathens. As per Bingo's explication, I think the method isn't the important part.

Really?

It's something humans are very close to being able to do themselves.

The implications have ramifications.

Would they be playing God, emulating God or would they be God or at least God's remote control?

If God is implicit in the process surely actuating the process has very interesting religious considerations? 

Reminds me of when Kirk Cameron said the banana was proof there is a god. When it was pointed out to him that the banana is a highly modified, and selectively bred mutation that would not exist except for man's influence, he responded with "well, that proves God gave us those tools."

Chatting with a colleague, an older women (60s?), about scary movies. When we got to "Rosemary's Baby" she made the point that what the movie was "really about" was the fears women had of pregnancy, largely due to young women in the 70s having grown up in the shadow of the Thalidomide birth-defect crisis. 

Now, saying what a film is "really about" is overly simplistic and somewhat dismissive of the creative process, it seems highly likely that those fears played into both the films reception by audiences, and perhaps were a factor in the creative decisions to make the film. 

Cloverfield was obviously intentionally playing on the imagery of the 9/11 attacks. I don't think it was really "about" anything though, as that film didn't seem to be trying to make any kind of point. 

I've heard it said that "The Thing" and "The Fly" were both subtly playing into or at least resonating strongly with, anxiety about HIV/AIDS in the 80s; "The Thing" with its blood tests, and "The Fly" with its sexy fit young man starting to decay before our eyes. 

What are your thoughts? Does this type of analysis have merit, or is it a case of the viewer bringing more to the film than is actually in the film? What other films might this be applied to?

Re-watched "The Thing" 1982.

I'm having a strange experience.

I've often enjoyed a film somewhat, going along for the ride, then on reflection, even a little bit, realized it was pretty terrible. When the lights came up after "Van Helsing" I thought, that was a hoot, and by the time I got to my car I was thinking, what a load of crap!

The opposite is happening with "The Thing" 2011. At first viewing I thought it wasn't bad, but now I'm really starting to think it was an excellent thriller. 

I've never seen a prequal as respectful to the source material, or one that tells basically the same story, while finding interesting new ways to cover the same general story beats. 

And while I know there's a strong anti-CGI vibe on this board, I still think the creature effects were darn good.

So, 

The Thing, 1982- 9/10 head spiders. 

The Thing, 2011- 8/10 tooth fillings. 

Leonardo said:

Mrebo said:

So, for the non-believers, do you truly 100% accept/believe/swear as fact that your ancestors were ape creatures? Why or why not?

As an atheist, I don't believe anything. I understand how the theory works, though, and I accept it for the same reason.

I'm not an atheist exactly, but, what he said. 

I love it. Good for him; an awesome way to give back. I'll check it out when I make it to the Bay next time. 

DuracellEnergizer said:

^And that there is the reason why I will never watch The Thing.

I think you're denying yourself something of a treat in this film based on that prejudice. 

More on "The Thing" (2011)

I liked the use of both language and perhaps subtle sexism to increase the paranoia. 

I think the creature effects were awesome.

I wish this wasn't a prequal. If it had just been another movie based on the same novella (happens all the time) I think I would have liked it more. The prequal aspect felt forced somehow. Maybe I brought with me an anti-prequal spirit. 

Saw the remake/prequal/whatever "The Thing.'

Not great. But DARNIT why can't scientists in movies act the slightest bit like real scientists? 

If you're dissecting an alien, ok I can live with that no one takes the most basic safety precautions. I can accept that the idea of contamination to the specimen is ignored. 

BUT THEY DON'T EVEN TAKE ANY PICTURES? Geez Louise. 

TMBTM said:

 And let's face it: since Carrie Fisher have lost her sex appeal ...

She has not. :-P

Bingowings said:

Hugo Chàvez 58

 Pity. He was going to hang out with Dennis Rodman next weekend.

What do you call someone who graduates bottom of his class at medical school?

Doctor.

darth_ender said:

In nursing school you must get an 80% or better to pass.  I just took my third of four exams yesterday, and for the third time scored under 80%.  Unless I can really bring it up with fourth test and the final exam, I will not pass this semester.  I'm very sad about it.  I studied so hard for yesterday too :(

Good luck bro!

CP3S said:

Um, yeah, typically. I've never known a teacher whose degree wasn't a Liberal Arts degree. The term "Liberal Arts degree" covers bachelor's degrees in a very wide variety of subjects. It simply means that their education encompasses a wide variety of subjects, social sciences, history, humanities, philosophy, science, literature, language, etc., as opposed to a very specific degree where you study very few subjects unrelated to your specialty. The idea of the liberal arts degree was to provide graduates with a well rounded education. Degrees in education degrees are Liberal Arts degrees, however, all that was needed to substitute teach when I was in Michigan was to simply have a bachelor's degree.

 

I work with several teachers with specific degrees undergrad and grad, in Chemistry, Geology, and Biology. 

Warbler said:

*sigh*

Maybe not color coded beards, but I stand that to make something called "THE BIBLE" and not somehow deal with the fact their are four gospels that don't always match would be to do a huge disservice to the text.

Since it's the HISTORY channel, and they suck, I bet Revelation is going to get WAY too much screen time. 

Saw "The Raven" with Cusak as Edgar Allen Poe.

Not bad. 

SPOILERS

My father taught me how to solve mystery movies. Spot the character who keeps being around who really doesn't have to be. This is another film that fits that pattern perfectly.

I'm really impressed by just how Three Dimensional and organically the characters in Hercules are animated, given how stylized the drawings are (like how the main female's nose and eyebrow are the same line). 

For the month of march, the official selections are

• Argo
• The Room
• Cannibal Holocaust
• Disney's Hercules

 For the remainder of this month, discussion in this thread should be limited to these films. The last week of the month will also see nominations for next month's films. 

Bingowings said:

Why would Jesus wear a toga?

He might as well wear a different coloured beard.

That would be ok too.

• MATTHEW: Black
• MARK: Blonde
• LUKE: Red
• JOHN: Green

Also, I liked that the angels in Sodom were given mad Kung-Fu skillz. The Bible was seriously lacking that.